Key clinical point: Patient-reported flares may be a marker of increased inflammation, are mainly driven by pain and self-reported swollen joints, and are associated with treatment escalation.

Major finding: Over a 12-month follow-up period, RA patients’ self-reported flares were independently associated with pain (odds ratio [OR], 1.85), swollen joints (OR, 1.18), and higher evaluator global assessment scores (OR, 1.15).

Study details: The data come from a single-center study of 80 adults with RA in remission or in a low disease activity state at baseline, with an average disease duration of 11 years.

Disclosures: The study was supported by the Danish Rheumatism Association, the University of Southern Denmark, the Region of Southern Denmark, and the Knud and Edith Eriksens Memorial Fund. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.